The Mount Vernon News sports department’s MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK is a weekly feature that spotlights local student-athletes and their schools. We have asked coaches, ADs and community members to nominate worthy student-athletes based on their performances. We select an ATHLETE of the WEEK and recognize other outstanding athletic accomplishments.
As the school year comes to a close and local spring sports have ended, we recap the 2022-2023 sports seasons and the student-athletes whose stellar play showed they were a cut above. We take this time to honor the student-athletes who have been recognized here. This week we present 30 females who were chosen ATHLETE OF THE WEEK, and we will follow up next week with the 27 males also selected. The following week (June 17), we will select a female ATHLETE of the YEAR from three finalists, and on June 24 will showcase the male ATHLETE of the YEAR from three finalists.
If you believe an athlete has not been duly honored, please be proactive next school year and either nominate the athlete yourself (as a community member) or encourage your coaches to nominate a team member. Please send us your nominations, why they are deserving and a picture of them. Let’s give these student-athletes the recognition they deserve.
Of the 30 females who were chosen ATHLETE of the WEEK for 2022-23, we had five multiple winners.
Our first Athlete of the Week was Audrey Brininger (Cardington-Lincoln volleyball). Brininger led Cardington-Lincoln’s opening 3-0 win over Northridge on Aug. 19 with 17 kills, an ace, two blocks, nine digs and seven receptions. In her next match vs. Fredericktown, she followed with 17 kills, one block, nine digs and four receptions.
Peyja McCord (Mount Vernon volleyball). In the season-opening 3-2 win over Ashland, McCord took over the match with 13 kills, two assists, two blocks and three digs. In the Lady Jackets’ 3-0 victory over Mansfield, she took command of the court with 10 kills, three service aces, one block and one dig.
Elsa Hoam (Fredericktown cross-country). Hoam won the Newark Catholic Invitational and followed that by winning the Highland Invitational.
Madi Rohler (Mount Vernon volleyball). Rohler was a force as a libero against New Philadelphia with an ace and 24 digs. Two days later, against Madison Comprehensive, Rohler had 15 digs, and two days later, over New Albany, she finished with an ace, 18 digs and four assists.
Cadie Long (Cardington-Lincoln volleyball). Long was lights-out serving against Mount Gilead with 10 aces and 31 serves in on 32 attempts, and she also had 12 digs. Long followed that game with a perfect 22 digs against Fredericktown in 22 chances.
Ceci Grassbaugh (Highland golf). Grassbaugh finished the MOAC tournament by setting a school record with an 18-hole score of 77. Grassbaugh was a medalist (first place/low score) in five events this season.
Kameron Stover (Highland volleyball). In a 3-1 win over Shelby, Stover amassed 30 kills, had three aces and a 90% service percentage, two blocks and 16 digs.
Jadine Mills (Cardington-Lincoln volleyball). C-L won their second-straight KMAC title and saw strength in the middle from Mills, who had all 59 team assists, five kills, two service aces and a 100% serve percentage in the title-clincher over Centerburg.
Tori Burdette (Mount Vernon volleyball). Burdette inspired the Lady Jackets with four kills, diving for 10 digs and 39 assists over Ontario.
Gwyn Sands (Centerburg volleyball). In the Division 3 sectionals opening round, Sands led a 3-0 sweep over Columbus Tree of Life with 12 kills, two aces, two blocks and three digs.
Larsen Terrill (Highland volleyball). In the OHSAA volleyball playoffs, Terrill dominated play in two games with 14 kills, 84 assists and 24 digs.
Zoya Winkelfoos (Highland volleyball). In the OHSAA volleyball playoffs, Highland lost the Division II Regional Semifinals in four sets to Hamilton Badin but was led in defeat by Winkelfoos, who had 15 kills, three aces and three blocks.
Cally Carpenter (Fredericktown basketball). In Fredericktown’s 51-40 overtime win over Highland, Freddies’ sophomore Cally Carpenter scored 20 points, hit a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and hit two pressure free throws with less than two seconds left to send the game into OT.
Jaylyn Workman (Danville basketball). In a 53-42 overtime win over Centerburg, Workman took over the game with 11 points in the fourth and five in OT, finishing with 19 points, 16 rebounds (including 10 defensive boards), three steals and a block.
Kameron Stover (Highland basketball). Leading the Lady Scots basketball team to its first win of the year, a 57-17 win over Galion, Stover had 17 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and sat the fourth as the Scots rested their starters.
Lauren Johnson (Northmor basketball). In a squeaker over Fredericktown, 46-45, Johnson answered the call with 19 points, three assists, four steals and eight rebounds.
Kayla Larimore (Centerburg basketball). Larimore rose to a double-double performance in a 48-45 victory over Northridge, with 17 points, 11 rebounds and playing tough defense to grab three steals.
Ella Bouton (Fredericktown basketball). Bouton earned a double-double over Centerburg, with a 23-point performance and a dozen boards.
Riley Johnson (Northmor basketball). Johnson was a game-saver on offense and defense in Northmor’s 49-47 win over Mount Gilead. Johnson scored 20 points and was deadly from downtown, hitting 6-of-8 from 3-point range. She also played tenacious defense and was credited with five deflections.
Cally Carpenter (Fredericktown basketball). Her second. When a team loses, but an athlete delivers all over the court to keep her team in the game, she deserves her due accolades. Carpenter delivered 24 points, three offensive rebounds, three assists and five steals in a loss to Danville, 59-54.
Ella Divan (East Knox basketball). EK beat top-rated Cardington-Lincoln 38-27, and Divan scored 18 of the Lady Bulldogs’ points.
Grace Sipes (Fredericktown basketball). Coming back from injury, Sipes scored 20 points and rainbowed a pair of threes in the third quarter to help beat Lucas.
Emma Rinehart (Mount Vernon wrestling). Rinehart won the 115-pound weight class at the 32-team competition at the Port Clinton Lady Redskin Invitational. Rinehart is 22-9 on the year.
Madilyn Elson (Mount Gilead basketball). Elson led the Indians to a 61-15 blowout victory over Groveport Madison Christian in the second round of the OHSAA Division IV, Region 15 playoffs to set the school record for wins in a season. Elson scored 20 points and added seven rebounds, five assists and six steals. In the previous round win over Ridgedale, Elson scored 16 points and had seven steals.
Madilyn Elson (Mount Gilead basketball). Her second. In back-to-back honors, Elson repeated her playoff performance in the final-round playoff loss to Lancaster Fisher Catholic. Elson led the Indians with 20 points, and even in defeat, she played like a champion.
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (Highland track). At the 33rd annual New Balance Nationals Indoor track meet, Laracuente-Huebner won a national title, placed second in another event and fourth in another. In addition, she won gold in the triple jump championship, took silver in the long jump and placed fourth in the high jump.
Brooklyn Thayer (Mount Vernon track). At the Black Bear Relays, Thayer won the discus with a throw of 118-11, 10 feet ahead of the second-place finisher. She also placed fourth in the shot put, and her 4x100 weight relay team won first place. She had two personal records and won three relay events at the meet.
Stevie Asher (Highland softball). Asher pitched and hit her way to a 10-0 win for Highland over Pleasant. She threw zeroes, struck out six, knocked out three hits, and drove across three runs.
Shelby Cooper (Northmor softball). Cooper threw a no-hitter in the Lady Knights’ 11-0 victory over Ridgedale. She struck out seven and walked one, the second batter she faced, and then retired the final 14 batters in a row to end the game.
Chesnee Fairall (Centerburg softball). In six games during the week, Fairall hit .542 with 13 hits, five homers and 11 RBIs and had 39 putouts behind the plate. From her catching position, she also threw out four opponents trying to steal.
Ella Bouton (Fredericktown track). Her second. In the Gerald Swankhouse Memorial Invitational track meet, Bouton won the Freddies’ only gold, winning the discus throw with a toss of 123’2’ and placed fourth in the shot put.
Natalie Smith (East Knox softball). In an 18-2 win over Mount Gilead, Smith hit for the cycle – a single, double, triple and homerun – going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs scored.
Sarah Phillips (Mount Vernon track). At the Jackets Invite, Lady Jacket Sarah Phillips won back-to-back sprint championships, taking the 100-meter dash and the 200.
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (Highland track). Laracuente-Huebner won four gold medals, set a meet record and tied her own mark in another event at the MOAC track championships. She dominated the 200-meter dash in meet-record time, won the 100 hurdles, set a meet record in a prelim heat, and won the high jump and long jump championships.
Maddy Cotsamire (East Knox softball). In a tournament win and a loss, Cotsamire was brilliant in the circle. In EK’s 1-0 win over Liberty Union, Cotsamire pitched seven innings, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out 11. In EK’s 1-0 loss to No. 1 Johnstown-Monroe 1 in the district finals of the Division III, Region 10 tournament, she went all six innings, striking out five, allowing four hits, one walk and only one unearned run.
We congratulate all these winners and will print the three finalists and female ATHLETE OF THE YEAR on June 17. Next week, we showcase the male ATHLETES OF THE WEEK.
